


Collision

by slytherindungeon (cameroncole)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-09 01:22:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4328406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cameroncole/pseuds/slytherindungeon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pansy has never liked fancy dinners. But fancy dinners that include Tom Riddle? Well she isn't quite how she feels about those yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Collision

Pansy adjusted the hem of the cocktail dress she was wearing before knocking on the large oak door in front of her. She wasn’t entirely excited about the party but her father was away doing business in France and the Malfoy’s had insisted on a representative from the family coming, if only to keep up appearances, so here she was. She didn’t even now who else had been invited, to busy with her own career to bother associating with the gossipy socialites she had despised since childhood. All Pansy knew was she had to smile pretty and field the plethora of questions regarding both her professional and personal life. The Malfoy’s butler, Jason or Jackson—she could never remember which—opened the door and took her coat before informing her of the party’s location in the second floor ballroom and offering to walk her their. She politely declined needing a few moments to herself before being bombarded and made her way the the room.

As per usual Malfoy style the ballroom was decorated lavishly and perhaps a little over the top for such a small gathering. There couldn’t have been more than fifteen people in the room and Pansy found herself surprised and pleased that she wouldn’t be forced to interact with hundreds of people for three hours. She scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar face when she spotted Blaise with Draco and made her way over to them.

“Pansy!” Blaise exclaimed as she drew close. “We weren’t sure if you were gonna show.” Blaise pulled her into a quick one-armed hug the other carrying a mostly drunk glass of champagne.

“Wild dragons couldn’t keep me away.” She replied, plastering a smile on her face.

Draco snorted, inelegantly. “More like it took wild dragons, that you call father, to make you come. It’s no secret to anyone that actually knows you that you absolutely hate this kind of thing.”

Pansy pulled herself up straight, putting on her best don't-mess-with-me face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Please stop trying to look like your sister, Pansy. You don’t do it very well.” Theo said as he approached them with three glasses of wine handing one to Draco and holding the other out to her. “I saw you arrived so I grabbed you one too.”

“Thank you.” She murmured politely, taking the glass from him and sipping at it lightly. “As usual, Draco, your mother picks delightful wine.”

“I actually picked that out, Miss Parkinson but thank you.” Lucius said carrying his own glass of the classic red.

“Hello, Mr. Malfoy.” Pansy said in response, offering her free hand.

“How are you, my dear?” Lucius said shaking her hand.

“I’m doing fine, and yourself?”

“I’m actually quite well. I heard your father is out of town?”

“Yes he is. I’m not entirely sure what about. He’s always very vague but he’s not due back until late next week.”

“Ah, well it’s nice to have someone from the family here. I hope you enjoy yourself.” Lucius said, bowing his head a touch and turning to go talk to someone one, his robes snapping gracefully behind him.

“I have to go use the ladies room. Can you on you hold my glass?” Pansy said to Theodore.

“Of course.” He gripped the bottom of the glass, looking at the deep red lipstick prints like they offended him.

Knowing the Manor as well as she did due to childhood summers spent wandering the halls she didn’t need to ask for directions and began making her way to the washroom. She caught herself staring at one of the portraits on the wall before smacking into someone else. Pansy stumbled back, already slightly off balance because of her heels, and landed on the floor. The person that had run into her falling directly on top of her. The man pushed himself off of her, standing and brushing off his slacks before Pansy could get a good look at his face but when she did she gasped aloud.

“What are _you_ doing here?” She said, unable and unwilling to control the venom in her voice.

“The same thing you are, I suppose. Enjoying a nice meal with a wealthy, affluent family that genuinely enjoys my company.”

“They don’t know you very well then do they.” Pansy spat, looking in the deep brown eyes of Tom Riddle himself.

“Obviously not.” He murmured, with a self satisfied smirk. “But I’d like to see you try to explain how you know about me without implicating yourself as well.”

She ground her teeth together, a habit her mother and then older sister had tried to disparage her from for years. “What name are you going by, Tom?” She asked, steel behind the sugary sweet tone she was presenting. “I’d just hate to accidentally call you by the wrong name.” Pansy batted her eyelashes, putting an innocent, unassuming smile on her face. Only Tom would understand that she truly was barring her teeth in an attempt to add intimidation to the passive aggressive nature of her statement.

“Oh you don’t have to worry. I’m still going by Tom just using the last name Gaunt as opposed to Riddle.” He said, thwarting her pitiful attempt at intimidation. He took a step closer, breathing in her scent and he was briefly reminded of the first time her met her in a sleazy, muggle bar in an even sleazy part of London. Even through the cloud of smoke and sweat she still managed to smell sultry and appealing. It was that accompanied with the little smirk that she only displayed when completely sloshed that had encouraged him to flirt with her which in turn lead to a quickie in the bathroom before calling a cab to take them to the nearest motel. He’d woken to the smell of coffee and a note that read:

**_Had to leave, coffee’s in the pot._ **   
**_\- p_ **

She hadn’t left a number and he hadn’t looked for one. Then he ran into her again at the ministry, she had been there to get something signed for approval and he’s been there to find an identity. He’d tried to avoid her, not out of fear but because he knew she probably presumed him muggle just as he had her but she spotted him and confronting him. Telling him she knew who he was and that as long as he kept himself out of trouble she wouldn’t tell anyone. He had been surprised to say the least and he definitely didn't plan on ‘keeping out of trouble’ what ever that was supposed to mean. The third time he saw her, they were in semi-private both of them in an empty field collecting roots at midnight for a potion and she was furious. It wasn’t hard to tell, she was very generous with her displays of emotion and had threatened to tell everybody who he was if she ever saw him again before apparating away. They had both missed the window for the roots that night.

He watched her pupils dilate as her eyes raked up his body before settling on his eyes. “Well, that’s just lovely, now isn’t it?”

“What are you two doing?” Draco asked as he rounded the corner of the hallway.

“We ran into each other and were just catching up.” Tom said, flashing a dazzling smile.

“Oh, you two have met before?” Draco asked, looking surprised.

“Just once.” Pansy supplied. “At the ministry a few weeks ago. We have the unfortunate tendency of colliding.”

Draco looked confused as his eye’s flashed from her face to his for a moment before he spoke. “Well, dinner’s ready so you should come join us.”

She nodded smoothing out her dress and followed behind him, painfully away of Tom right behind her.

The large dining room was just as extravagant as the ballroom which didn’t surprise Pansy at all. There was a single table prepared to seat 20 people and the with only three seats empty she didn’t have much choice as to wear she was sitting. Ever the gentleman Draco pulled out a chair for her and not wanting to upset him she took it. He sat next to her which left Tom the seat across from her and she could already feel the tension in the air.

Lucius stood. “Now that everyone is here, let’s eat shall we?” He made a vague gesture with the hand not holding his cane and a parade of house elves came into the room, each carrying two silver platters that they set about the table and as the smells reached her nose, Pansy remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast nine hours ago.

She reached fro the platter of roast chicken directly in front of her at the same time as Tom did and their eye’s connected over the plate of poultry.

“Ladies first.” Tom said, releasing the platter with a charming grin.

“Oh, Pansy, I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you. You weren’t here yet when he—”

“She’s already met Tom, Father.” Draco interrupted, his usual bored look in place at the formalities expected during these types of events.

“Oh, I see. Well, then how do you know Mr. Gaunt, Pansy?” Lucius said, hiding his surprise.

“We met at the Ministry early last month.” Tom replied, slicing through his piece of chicken. “I’d recognized her from an article in Witch Weekly that a friend of mine made me read so I introduced myself.”

“It was a very… interesting meeting.” Pansy informed them, putting a small piece of chicken in her mouth and chewing to hide the smirk that wanted to crawl across her face.

“That’s good.” Lucius acknowledged. “You two should talk, you both have very similar interests.”

“Yes, we should.” Tom said, flashing a smile. “It’s always nice to have conversations with people about things they also have a passion for.”

The passive aggressive edge to his voice set her on edge and she straightened her back a tad. “That would be wonderful. Tell me what’s your theory’s on time travel?”

Lucius laughed. “Time travel is impossible, at least for any serious amount of time. I’m sure the two of you have more progressive things to discuss than something as silly as time travel.”

“I’m not so sure about that.” Tom retorted. “I think it’s possible with the right circumstances to the right person. It would obviously be very difficult and very dangerous but I’m not fond of the notion of impossibility.”

Pansy wasn’t sure how the rest of the guests couldn’t feel the tension in the room, she herself was almost choking on it but as her eyes briefly scanned the room she noticed the only people paying attention to her and Tom were Lucius and Draco.

“Me either.” She said, sweetly after taking a sip of her wine.

Lucius’s eyes flickered between her and Tom. “I didn’t realize the two of you had quite so much in common. This is splendid.”

“It certainly is.” Tom declared, his eye’s boring into hers and she smiled in a way that was somehow comforting and terrifying.

“Lucius, darling.” Narcissa said from the other end of the table continuing when he looked up. “Are you all done? It’s 8 already and we wanted to move back into the dining room at 7:30.”

Pansy blinked, unaware of how much time had truly passed while her and Tom were throwing around vague threats and disgustingly sugary smiles.

“I believe so, my love. Shall we move rooms?” Lucius stood, wiping his hands on the napkin he’d laid on his lap and placing it on the table. He walked over to her and she took his arm as they led everyone back to the ballroom.

Pansy stood slowly, trying to figure out an excuse to get her home early and away from Tom. She thought about claiming the chicken had made her feel unwell as she wiped her hands and turned to leave as the door clicked shut with just her and Tom on this side of it. She noticed he didn’t exactly looked please and considering how well he usually controlled his emotions that was truly terrifying.

“What the hell was that?” Tom snarled. Pansy found her self simultaneously afraid and turned on but did nothing to react to either knowing neither would end well.

“What do you mean?” She questioned, feigning innocence.

“What’s your theory on time travel?” He mimicked in a very exaggerated version of her voice.

“I was curious! And trying to please Lucius, he seemed to think we’d be the greatest thing to ever happen. He’s _Lucius Malfoy_ you don’t displease him and live to tell the tale so I made small talk. Is there a problem with that?”

“Yes there is!” He almost yelled. “I knew you weren’t the smartest—”

He was cut off as her hand connected with his cheek a satisfying crack sound reverberating around the room.

“You can say a lot of mean shit about me but _do not_ insult my intelligence.” She said her voice low and angry sounding. Tom was staring at her, eye’s wide. She tried to decode the emotion behind his eyes but before she got the chance his lips were crashing down on hers, soft and warming but still somehow sharp. She tasted the chicken, which was a little jarring but behind that was the tang of the rich wine and something like chocolate. She let him kiss her enjoying the feeling before realizing they had been fighting just moments before and pushing him away.

“What the bloody fucking hell was that?” She snapped, knowing most of her lipstick was gone and her cheeks flushed red.

He was staring at her blankly as if unable to process exactly what had happened. Then it clicked and he straightened pulling himself to his full height and putting his nuetral expression back into place. “What do you mean?” He said mirroring her words from earlier.

She was taken a back and felt her mouth gape open. “I slapped you across the bloody face and you kissed me!”

Tom smirked a little. “You kissed me back.”

Pansy found herself wanting to slap him again but instead balled her fists at her side. “I have never met a person as infuriating as you. Did you know that?”

“And yet you still want to shag the life out of me.” The smugness in his voice was evident, making it significantly deeper.

“You’re impossible.” She exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

“You can keep complaining about me or you can come back over here and get the frustration out.”

“I don’t have hate sex.” She said, sounding proud and slightly pretentious.

“Then we won’t call it hate sex.”

She eyed him, as if deciding whether to shag him or hex him before stepping forward and placing both her hands on his chest. “You better cast a silencing charm.”

Tom couldn’t stop the smirk as he pulled out his wand.


End file.
